Ghost
by Kayli
Summary: She had been drafted into Root and trained to be one of them. Her assignment to Team Kakashi was a ruse to find a reason to execute Hatake Kakashi. It was supposed to be easy, except that he and his team were reminding her to be human. KakashixOC
1. Prologue

**Ghost**

**By Kayli**

**Spoilers:** This fic starts right after 405 and sort of branches off from there. So basically anything that happens after 405 (the chapter right after Naruto 'defeats' Nagato, and where Danzo was selected to be Hokage) I altered to fit the parameters of my fic.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Prologue**

"_Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end."  
-Scott Adams_

-xxx-

There are many legends about the shinobi of Leaf. They are told to inspire the younger generation, to inspire loyalty and because they are great stories. There is one story that is not often told, because hers is lost among the many great shinobi of her time. She was born with a gift that allowed her to see the veils of the world, she was trained and shaped by Root to be an model shinobi. She had been trained to think that personal attachments made her weak and unfit to protect Konoha. This is story is about a boy that changed her mind and his teacher who changed her heart.

The woman was called Yuurei, the Ghost, she didn't have any other name or if she did, it had been forgotten by all but the dead. They had started calling her Ghost because of her kekkei genkai. But they kept calling her Ghost because she could tail almost anyone without being discovered. They kept calling her Ghost because as she grew she became barely a person, too pale and too skinny, her muscles taunt and her features blank. Most of Root bore such an appearance, but Yuurei was different from her fellow Root shinobi because she hadn't been taken and raised by Danzo, she'd been drafted.

That was how she thought of it. She tried not to remember life before hand. She tried not to remember smiling, or laughing, because that made it harder to remember what they had taught her. Danzo-sama reminded them emotions made them week, so to remember the past was foolish and she agreed with him for the most part. But she cheated, the first sign that she did not truly belong in Root.

She kept a pendent from her best friend and several old photographs, she hidden so well that not even the enforcer had found them to burn. Still she didn't bring them out except on the anniversary, the rest of the time she'd refocus knowing that being emotionless made her a better shinobi. However she also knew after each anniversary something would spark the rebellious streak they'd never managed to subdue, this was the second sign Root was not her original home. These antics would earn her a session with the enforcer to remind her how a Root shinobi should behave, and by the end she would be convinced that was how she should behave. Because as much as she missed the laughter, she was an efficient machine was well suited to protect Konoha and it had been Danzo-sama that created her.

The third sign she did not belong in Root was when she'd ignored the hold he placed on operatives and had gone out to fight against thePains. She would not, could not leave her village unprotected with those monsters around. As the fight stemmed, she managed to save lives but it was what she witnessed that made the rebellion worth it. She watched amazed through eyes that could see through the layers of this worldas Nagato sent the souls of the dead back to their hosts. He used the last of his life force to bring them all back. All because a fearless orange clad blonde idiot had listened to his story.

It went against everything she had been taught in the last 15 years, and perhaps that is what started Yuurei on the road to leaving Root and betraying Danzo. It started with Uzamaki Naruto, but it would end with his teacher- Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Cat Nin.

The ninja in question, Hatake Kakashi, was summoned to Danzo's, the new Hokage, office, well tent. After Kiba's sudden announcement, the only reason Naruto wasn't there shooting his mouth off was because Sakura had knocked him out with a sedative, telling his half conscious form that he needed to rest.

When Kakashi stood before Danzo, the newly elected Rokudaime's, he didn't realize it has nearly been him with the title of Hokage. He didn't realize that Danzo had come to see him as a rival, something that was incredibly bad for ones health. Kakashi's face was blank betraying none of the confusion and turmoil the nin felt after recent events. He had died and come back. He had talked to his father. And the new Hokgae was going to throw him for more loop.

The mission he was being assigned was a loyalty test. It was to solve Danzo's problem with Team 7. Either they would die on this mission, or they would defy the order and he could kill them. Naruto was not to come, Naruto was not to be told, after all the jinchuuriki was too valuable an asset to loose. Danzo wanted him to remain in the village. The team would consist of Kakashi, Sakura, Sai and a woman from Root. Danzo had smiled as he'd told Kakashi his mission, he'd expected the Copy-cat Nin to refuse or to slip up somehow.

He was wrong, because Hatake Kakshi had been given enough missions to know how to react, even when this imposter Hokage had just given him the mission to bring back the head of Uchiha Sasuke.

-xxx-

A/N: Alright so the premise of this story focuses on Yuurie (the Ghost), a root operative who is sent on a mission with Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai to bring back Sasuke's head (Danzo doesn't want him brought back alive/cause he's an evil bastard). I picked Sai because he's less powerful than Naruto and he is also a recovering Root member. I won't include a lot of Naruto in this story, because I have trouble writing him. So I took the cowards way out and didn't include him, plus he's also too powerful and would outclass the others too much. Just wanted to explain :).

So that's it for today, the bulk of this story is written, and I know where's its going so never fear this story shouldn't be ended prematurely without being finished. Hope you enjoy, I'll put up the next chapter within the week. Maybe early if I'm feeling productive.

PS If you'd be interested in beta reading for me, I open to offers as I am the words worst proofreader.

-Kayli, 3/30/10


	2. Assembly

**Ghost**

**-**

**By Kayli**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Seriously though do you think any author ever publishes here to try out different endings?? (Just a thought that randomly popped into my head lol)

**Chapter One**

Assembly

"_Every choice moves us closer to or farther away from something. Where are your choices taking your life? What do your behaviors demonstrate that you are saying yes or no to in life?"__-Eric Allenbaugh_

-xxx-

The next morning dawned cold and overcast. Rain fell lightly, the wind blew unpleasantly, and it was not a pleasant day to be outside. It was a day to curl up under the covers with loved ones. Unfortunately for the pink haired medic, the pale artist, the grieving teacher and the ghost, they had no loved ones to curl up with. They all left their homes without regret, but they each left with a different rhythm.

The medic stopped by the hospital double-checking her supplies and looking in one last time on her patients, her route to the gate took her past an abandoned compound and a bench. She managed to walk past the compound without stopping but the bench made her pause. As she stared at it, a night that haunted her replayed itself in her mind. As she thought despairingly about the mission before her, the rain drizzled down and the mask she'd kept in place since Kakashi had told her about their mission late last night the rain would mask her tears, alone in the alley she sat and cried for the boy who'd been lost to her and the man she had been assigned to kill.

The pale artist however started his morning with drills he'd learned in Root. These drills had made him an efficient machine, and briefly he wished to be that machine again, so he wouldn't be worried about how the end of this mission would affect his team. These people, whom the fool Uchiha had thrown away, had taken him on as a replacement and Sai was 'thankful,' that was what the book called it, every day for the gift. When he was done with the drills Root had taught him, he went and painted the morning. Even though it was cold and wet, the clouds making the early morning grey. He focused not on the grey and bleak morning, but how the faint rays of light broke through the clouds, touching everything chasing away the gray of the day, that was what this team had taught him. Before he left he named the picture 'Hope'.

The Ghost hadn't started that morning, she been working all night. After being severely reprimanded for ignoring the hold, she'd barely had time to throw a clean shirt over her bloodied back before being assigned her new mission. She was supposed to find a reason for Danzo to take care of his problem with the teacher. So she had been following the teacher since he had been given the mission. But never once did the man break form. She'd watched him tell Sai and Haruno about their mission, saw all their faces line with resignation and sorrow. Then he'd gone home and prepared for the mission. He'd woken up early and now stood at the memorial stone. He didn't speak, he didn't cry, he simply stared and so Yuurie was forced to stare too.

While she stared with him, her mind wandered and she thought about all the names that would have been added to the stone had the Uzumaki kid not intervened. Any agent of Root, would have killed the man behind the Pains before another option could even be considered. However had an operative from Root found Nagato, all the villagers who had died would still be dead. For the first time in her life she was glad an agent of Root was not there, because even though it was not the way of Root, Uzumaki's way had saved everyone.

As these thoughts passed through Yuurie's tired brain, the teacher continued to stand at the stone. He was over an hour late now, but showed no interest in leaving the monument to the fallen. Her gaze swept over the monument, and she found the names of the team she had lost. Their names carved in the stone, side-by-side, testament that they had all deid on the same mission. A mission, where Yuurie thought bitterly, she should have died too. Although she supposed in a way she had died, because not long after she had recovered from that mission, Danzo had drafted her into her Root and everything had changed. All in all she did not like shadowing the teacher, it brought about memories she'd rather forget and it made her uncomfortable, less in control. Maybe that was how he detected her following, because she was Yuurie and no one spotted her, only Hatake Kakashi did.

She had watched him meet up with his team almost two hours late. She reported that they had failed to keep the departure from Uzumaki Naruto, the orange loudmouth stopped them angrily at the gate. It took them nearly an hour to convince the blond boy to stay behind. Hatake told him he was needed to protect the village. Uzamaki didn't like that logic, but agreed to stay only when Haruno mentioned that, "Hinata-sama was recovering and in no condition to protect herself." Naruto blushed violently, a reaction Yuurie barely remembered, but found amusing on the giant figure that just a day earlier had saved the entire village.

He muttered and said to send for him at the slightest sign of trouble, before taking off in the direction of the make shift hospital. She watched the others smile a bit at his reaction and she wondered if they too thought the young man funny. She realized there was an intensity to their gazes that indicated more than just amusement, they cared deeply for the boy. She reported that too.

Hatake-san broke her train of thought, "Are you going to come out and introduce yourself or will you just shadow us the whole mission?"

Haruno and Sai both jumped at the implication that someone was watching. Yuurei jumped too, no one saw her shadowing them. She was the Ghost for that reason. Slowly she emerged from her hiding place, staring in wonder at the teacher who had spotted her. When they saw her, they relaxed and Yuurie supposed she didn't look all that threatening, but Sai who had gone a few missions with her did not drop her guard.

She was not tall, 5'4", and she held the pale wasted appearance that everyone in Root wore. Her hair was long enough to be braided back, it's dull silver color faded to gray just like the rest of her. She wore all black as was befitting with Root dress and had a flute attached to the kunai holster on her right leg. Her movements were smooth, and there was nothing to indicate she had been forcibly reprimanded the night before. Her face was blank, showing no pain and no remorse for being caught eavesdropping. Though inside she amazed by the ninja before her, only Danzo-sama could tell when she was shadowing him. As she wondered how he had made her, silence settled over the group.

Finally the teacher spoke, "So you are our new team member?" There was silence again while he waited for her to introduce herself. She didn't.

Yuurie stood waiting for orders, members of ROOT did not make conversation. It was Sai who broke the awkward silence. "This is Yuurei-sempai, she is a Captain in Root." Sai spoke efficiently conveying Yuurei was a very capable shinobi.

Yuurie bowedrespectfully. Sai didn't look like he was going to finish the introductions, so Hatake went to finish them. "This is Haruno Sakura and I'm-."

"I know," Yuurei said cutting him off, wondering why he thought Danzo wouldn't have informed her of who she was working with. More to the point his team had a reputation and a well-known history. Individually they were all strong shinobi as well. Even the weakest, Haruno, had grown into a respected medic over the past three years. She'd saved one of Yuurie's teammates when she'd brought him back half dead after two weeks inside of the Rain Country. It was only due to the girl's quick thinking and medical knowledgethat her teammate's soul was kept this side of the veil.

"Alright then, I guess we should get going," Hatake said, still keeping the mask of friendliness in place. However there was a resigned note in his voice, as though he was stealing himself for the purpose of this mission. The Haruno girl and he locked gazes determinedly and Sai looked where the Uzumaki kid had run towards. She could tell they didn't want to be here, didn't want to be doing this. She reported that too. But then again she didn't want to be here either. But what they wanted didn't matter, it was what they had been assigned.

As they set out on a mission, she fell in place behind Hatake and the wind shifted pushing her scent towards him. He had been pleasantly surprised that she smelt like the forest, from her demeanor had he expected her to smell like the cold tunnels he associated with Danzo. Except he pulled up short turning, when he scented a familiar but unpleasant scent intermingled with the forest. It had been on her form last night as well.

As he turned and she saw his nostrils flair, she remembered that he had been the Wolf once upon a time in ANBU. That his sense of smell was supposed to rival that of the Inuzakus and when his gaze narrowed slightly in concern she supposed he smelt the remnants of her punishment. "You are injured, Yuurie-san." he stated annoyed that she had not taken care of the injury.

"It is nothing, sir, the remnants of disobeyed ordered," She answered succinctly.

This answer didn't seem to thrill him, "If it still hurts this evening, you should have Sakura look at it." Yuurie nodded and he started walking. She fell into step behind him, as Haruno and Sai followed. As they walked she found his concern odd, she had disobeyed an order, she deserved the whipping. He certainly shouldn't be worried about it, so she reported that too.

That night the campfire was a strange phenomenon. There was laughter as dinner was argued over and Yuurie was amazed by lack of regulation in the campfire. Sai behaved like them, completely unlike a Root shinobi she remembered- for starters he was happy. Sai and Haruno, bickered over a drawing he'd made of her. Hatake read his book and didn't even set watches, saying no one would bother them, as they had nothing of value to be bothered for. So she reported that too.

As the evening came to close and Yuurie still hadn't asked Haruno to look at her back, Hatake spoke to her for the first time since that morning, "If it's bleeding tomorrow, Yuurie-san. I'm going to order you to let Sakura look at."

"It was the result of my punishment for disobeying an order, Hatake-san, it is Root's policy to not allow treatment." She said laying on top of her sleeping roll on her stomach so as not to further irritate the injury.

"I am not a Root Operative, this is not a Root mission and those are not my policies," Kakashi said shortly, staring at her as he rolled out his own blanket on the other side of the fire.

Yuurie was brought up short by that and didn't know how to respond. So she nodded and looked away not saying anything.

Haruno, who obviously been listening, spoke up concerned, "Yuurie-san, I don't mind looking at it. Its no effort."

"It is fine," Yuurie spoke shortly wanting them to let the matter drop, their concern was disconcerting. There was silence again, but she could just feel the Haruno bursting to protest.

"What order did you break?" Hatake asked his voice curious.

"I ignored a hold," she didn't elaborate.

"Why?" he wanted to know why. He wanted to understand the new teammate Danzo had assigned to him. He knew she was a spy, because Danzo had realized that Sai was no longer his man. He knew that Danzo wanted to keep tabs on him, but he wasn't sure where this woman Yuurie, the Ghost, fit in.

"Because it was the right thing to do," Yuurie said wanting to end the conversation and ignore him, but he was her captain and that was not how she had been trained.

"By your definition, but not your captains?" Hatake asked.

She paused, thinking about the question and answered quietly, "By the villages definition." Silence reined as Kakashi thought about her answer. So she had chosen to do what the village felt was right, but not what Root thought was right. He noticed she hadn't said which path she thought was right. He wondered what her decision had been about, before Sai explained it further.

Sai elaborated, "Yuurie ignored the hold given to higher ranking Root operatives during the Pain invasion. She helped save civilians, instead of guarding the Root Vault. That was why she was whipped." Yuurie glared at Sai.

"Because you were protecting the village?!" Haruno yelled outraged.

"I still broke a hold," Yuurie said feeling odd as she defended the decision. It had been a bad call, and she had been right to ignore it, but she had ignored a hold. 'If everyone ignored their holds, missions could be jeopardized,' the voice inside her that had been trained by Danzo's spoke and so the punishment had been warranted. Still another voice, the one more like herself, argued Haruno was right, she had been defending the village. She had done nothing wrong.

As Haruno continued to rave about the injustice of it, Yuurie almost missed Hatake's question, "How many lashes?"

"Twenty-seven," Yuurie said and when he looked at her confused this time she did explain. "It was the number of people I saved during the invasion, because I picked their lives over the orders of my Captain."

She heard Haruno gasp in horror, but Hatake didn't say anything and finally they let the subject drop. That was his answer she had done what she had thought was right, but agreed with her Captain's idea of a reprimand because she should not have broken the hold. Going to sleep, he thought, "We've found another one, too bad Naruto's not here. He'd make her see." But Kakashi didn't know that Naruto had already done started the change, now it was up to him to finish the transformation.

-xxx-

The next morning, Yuurie woke up early, to find a river so she could wash off her back. Root policy dictated that she couldn't have a medic look at it, not that she couldn't doctor it herself. The cold stung and felt wonderful at the same time. As she worked to reach the cuts on the center of back she debated letting the healer look at it. They were small injuries. Haruno could heal them easily. She dove under to rinse off her back one last time, and shook off the idea. She had earned the lashes and it was not her way to shirk a punishment.

When she came back to camp, she met Hatake's gaze squarely, daring him to order her to have them looked at. He didn't, even though Haruno, wanted him too. He looked into her eyes with respect, respect that hadn't been there yesterday when he wore his mask of friendliness. Confused by the sudden respect, especially after he'd learned about her habit of ignoring commands and being too stubborn to let a healer look as her injuries, she didn't include any of that in her report.

-xxx-

There you have it, this might be my last update for a while. The story is written, but not edited (and I'm a terrible editor so I apologize for any obvious typos). And I have three weeks of tests, exams and events so unfortunately publishing/editing takes a back seat. However I'm done with school April 26, so shortly after that if that not before you should have your update. I will try to get the next chapter updated.

-Kayli, 4/3


	3. Questions

**Ghost**

**By Kayli**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Seriously though do you think any author ever publishes here just to try out different endings? (Just a thought that randomly popped into my head lol)

**Chapter Two**

Questions and Answers

"_The one who asks questions never looses their way."-African Proverb._

-xxx-

They broke camp that morning in silence. While Hatake's orders did stop Haruno from demanding to look at Yuurie's wounds, the glares Haruno sent to both Yuurie and their captain proved that the medic thought the decision was foolish. The orders stopped her from asking to heal the injury, but they didn't stop her from wanting too.

For the next two days, Haruno glared at Yuurie anytime her movements grew stiff or she winced when she put on her backpack. But by the third day, Yuurie was pleased to wake up and find the remnants of her punishment had faded to the point where they no longer hindered her movements. She was glad, the young medics glares were wearing on her.

During the two days when the medic wasn't glaring at her or punching Sai for something he said, Haruno Sakura was always talking. She'd talk to her sensei, who just seemed to nod as he continued to read his book. She'd talk to Sai even though that always ended with her sending him flying into the nearest tree. She'd talk to the other travelers on the road. Check and see if anyone in the passing party needed a medic and if they did, she'd stop and help them expecting nothing in return and delaying their team's progress.

These delays didn't' seem to bother Hatake in the slightest he just paused quietly reading his book while the medic played good Samaritan. He was such a laid back nin, he didn't set up patrols, he didn't require them to walk in a specific order. He just continued walking east and they followed. At night he continued to not mind if their fires were loud and full of laughter, and he still hadn't set watches at night.

Sai, her supposed backup on this mission, seemed quite content with the situation and Yuurie was shocked and amused to find him trying to fit in. He offered up opinions and suggestions, even when it was not his place to do so. Though Yuurie had noticed, Haruno never seemed to like Sai's suggestions. All in all she found them a very odd team, but one that she could easily believe had produced a nin like Uzumaki Naruto.

Yuurei was filled with questions as they continued with the odd team. She wondered about their lax system of rules, their destination, and what was Hatake's plan when it came to dealing with the Uchiha. But Root had drilled into her that subordinates did not ask questions unless they were to counter faulty intelligence and despite Sai's actions providing evidence that this was not how this team worked, she couldn't bring herself to ask. So she was left to observe the group, trying to answer her own questions while keeping herself entertained.

She ran through the forms and attacks that she had been taught in Root. It kept her busy until the end of the third day. She had just started through her histories and it was while running through these that it happened, Haruno forgave Yuurie and decided to speak to her again. "So Yuurei-san, what would you like to eat tonight?" Haruno asked with her usual smile.

Yuurie stared at the girl, amazed that someone who was had proven herself such a competent shinobi and medic would ask such an inconsequential question. 'Why on earth did it matter what she wanted to eat?'

Yuurie's face must have showed confusion because Haruno elaborated on the question, "Well, Kakashi-sensi picked last night, Sai picked the night before that and I like everything so it doesn't matter to me." She finished cheerfully.

"But why does it matter?" Yuurie asked abruptly still confused as to why Haruno cared about her eating preferences.

If Sakura hadn't been on a team with Sai she would have been insulted, but she was used to Sai's brusque questions so she responded with a strained smile, "It's just a courtesy. Really you are new so you should have had first pick. But Sai asked and then Kakashi, so now it's your turn. Do you have a favorite?"

Yuurie looked at her oddly, she had never thought about it. Mission food was mission food. She had never paid attention to it unless it was particularly intolerable. She shook her head, "No."

"Oh," Haruno said only faltering for a moment. "Well then we'll do what is easiest."

Sai frowned, "But that substance you call stew tastes like boiled grass,"

Hatake stifled a laugh, Haruno's face reddened, and she sent Sai flying. "Actually I would prefer not boiled grass." Yuurei said straight faced, not recognizing Sai's comment as an attempt at humor.

As soon as she said it she realized she had missed something. Hatake's face sank deeper into the confines of his book with his shoulders shaking in silent laughter and Haruno went after Sai with a renewed anger. Yuurie watched their interaction curiously. She had learned that despite the young medic's anger, the young woman would never really hurt Sai. Haruno would give him a new bump or bruise but nothing too serious because the Haurno Sakura cared very deeply for her team. Yuurie saw it in the way she struggled to make dinner and then also offered to clean up. Yuurie saw it the night Haruno had demanded to look at her injured back, the medic wanted to help her teammates anyway she could.

Kakashi's gaze caught hers and she watched his face light up with a smile watching the two younger nin's go at it. At least she assumed he was smiling, who could really tell with that mask. As their gazes locked for a moment, Yuurie felt a smile rise in her and the warm feeling of camaraderie that stemmed from it brought back memories of another informal team. A loud blond and his louder dark haired twin brother and constant bickering that accompanied them. She remembered traveling together and camping and the same warm feeling.

However as she reached the image of their long-suffering sensi, Yuurei abruptly shut down the memory. Dropping her gaze to the ground, she used the shinobi tenets to block out the painful memories of her former team, chiding herself for getting caught up in the past. She started with the 25th, '_A shinobi must never show tears_,_'_ as it was the one that told them not feel.

Hatake watched her face light up and was startled to find she didn't live up to her call name when she smiled, her features softened and her eyes sparkled. Then he watched as her eyes hardened and the smile faded. He wondered at the transformation, how one second she could be almost human and then in a flash she was the Ghost again. This spy Danzo sent was an odd woman.

When Haruno's argument with Sai fizzled out, she turned her attention back to Yuurie, "So Yuurei, that's a unique call name, how did you get it? "Haruno's question pulled Yuurie out of the emotionally void world of the Shinobi tenets. Yuurie gritted her teeth at being drawn back into a conversation that was propelling her waist deep in emotions she was so accustomed to ignoring.

When she didn't immediately respond, Sai answered for her. "Yuurei-san is incredibly good at shadowing people, Ugly," Sai said using the odd nickname he used for Haruno. That nickname was another source of confusion from the odd team. She realized early into the trip that Sai was trying to abandon his Root training and fit in with this team. But his odd nickname for Haruno made no sense, because the young medic certainly wasn't ugly. She had curves, life in her eyes and a smile, all things Yuurie knew she herself lacked.

Yuurie paused a half step in horror, amazed and angry that she had thought anything of the sort. '_A shinobi doesn't worry about his appearance unless worrying about blending in undercover_,' She told herself sternly, horror struck by the stray thought that had just flown through her head. '_It is this lax team_,' She thought consoling herself.

Bringing her mind firmly in check, she thought about Sai's explanation for her call name. While it was true she could shadow people more effectively than most in the village, it was not the sole reason she had been given her call name. Danzo had given her the nickname because of her kekkei genkai, but she was required to keep her unique bloodline trait a secret, so that only a few Root members knew of it. Danzo liked secrets.

"Sai," Haruno said her voice strained. "If you call me that one more time..."

Sai broke in oblivious, "What, Ugly?" And she punched him again.

'_Really_,' Yuurie thought, '_Sai might at least learn to keep his mouth shut_'. He was a Root shinobi, they were supposed to be smarter than that.

"Sakura-chan," Hatake spoke not looking up from his book, "Please don't kill Sai, we might need him."

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," the pink haired girl said still glaring at her teammate who was slowly getting up from the unexpected blow. "But really, I could heal him if I wanted to," she said petulantly. Hatake didn't respond, but they all saw his eyes roll.

"Yuurei-san," Haruno spoke happily and Yuurie looked up at the pink-haired girl her smile so genuine that Yuurie found she was annoyed with the pinkette, if only because the girl was so happy.

Haruno reminded Yuurie of another medic who had also been rough and kind. Yuurie remembered laughing and smiling with that medic and how much fun they'd had terrorizing the boys on their teams. Yuurie shut the memory down harshly. It didn't matter, that medic was dead and Yuurie was Root and in Root such things didn't matter. This pink haired medic kept inadvertently bringing those memories to the surface with her stupid questions. '_Why couldn't the silly girl just leave me alone_?' Yuurie thought angrily.

Sakura, unaware of Yuurie sudden change in mood, continued with her questions, "What do you do for fun?"

"I work in Root, we don't have time for fun. Stop asking so many questions, we are not friends. Revealing more information about yourself than necessary is a way people reveal weaknesses. It is unbecoming of a shinobi," Yuurei snapped. The words came out harsher than she had intended, but this girl was so good at bringing back painful memories it had put Yuurie on edge and she just wanted Haruno to leave her alone.

Yuurie's words shut the younger nin up, Haruno seemed embarrassed by the reprimand. Sai looked at Yuurie oddly as though he didn't really think she should have chosen to snap but wasn't going to openly question a captain. Hatake's gaze was harsher, he looked at her reproachfully putting up his book to reprimand her, "Captain Yuurie, we are team. We should know each others weakness so that we can compensate for the other faults."

Yuurie stood facing him her face still blank, but his reprimand stung. She had not been reprimanded by anyone other than the Enforcer and Danzo since becoming a captain. She was a model shinobi, most of the time. She was an efficient tool of ROOT with a success rate of over 98%. But Hatake's reprimand stung because Yuurie remembered another teacher who once told her the same thing. That teacher had once told her that your team was your life and you cared for them accordingly. Back then she'd believed him, but then Root had drafted her and she'd been taught differently.

She looked back at Haruno, the younger nin no longer wore the smile Yuurie had grown used too. Haruno's shoulders slumped in defeat, as she walked with her face downcast. It was though a harsh truth had been thrust upon her, one that she had been trying to ignore and she had wilted under the weight of it. Yuurie didn't think it was just the harsh words that had just been exchanged between them. Yuurie wondered what Haruno Sakura had remembered that had made her suddenly so sad. Looking at the girl's downcast face, she realized that Hatake's reprimand stung because Yuurie regretted the words herself.

Yuurie turned back to Hatake, his gaze was still stern but seemed to fade to sorrow as he continued to stare into her eyes. Yuurie looked away when her own reflection came into focus in his one dark eye. She didn't like who she saw and she didn't want to see his pity. After all she was the one searching for a reason to execute him, surely if anyone deserved pity it was him. Except in Root there was no pity and no mercy, such weak emotions were forbidden. So when she saw it in other people's gazes she looked away, trying not to remember what she had once been taught made you stronger.

Camp that night was a silent affair. Yuurie thought about the previous nights where Haruno had kept Sai and Hatake talking and laughing. The camp tonight resembled a Root campfire, silent and cold. The stew did taste like boiled grass, and though Hatake tried to start conversation it seemed that Yuurie's sharp outburst had effectively silenced the younger nins.

As the quiet continued, Yuurei found she missed the laughter. Hatake gave a her stern look, conveying his opinion that he felt this was her fault. Yuurei looked back at him unrepentant. While she didn't like the girl had been hurt, she hadn't falsely corrected the medic's irresponsible stream of questions. Still maybe she should try and make amends, but when she went to open her mouth, Haruno beat her to it.

After her silence during the meal, her voice was unexpected when she whispered her sensei's name, "Kakashi-sensei." Haruno's voice wavered as though she didn't really want to ask the question she was thinking, "How will we find, Sasuke?"

The mood around the fire changed, were it had been silent it was now tense. Hatake ignored the sudden change in atmosphere and said lightly, "I'm not sure, he seems to excel at staying hidden, maybe he and Yuurei had the same teacher."

Yuurei stiffened at the comparison. She and Uchiha Sasuske had had very different upbringings, but it should not have been so she thought sourly. Hatake continued, "I was hoping to pick up some gossip as we traveled. Reports a few months ago indicated he was traveling in eastern regions and I remember a hidden Uchiha depot in this general direction, so there is an off chance he'll come this way and maybe we'll get a lead."

"Oh," was her only reply. As Yuurie memorized the details of Hatake's plan so she could report it to Danzo, she found she was focusing on the pain she heard in Sakura's voice. Yuurie wondered why such a simple question caused the girl such hurt. She had read in the file on Team Seven that as a girl Haruno had had a crush on the Uchiha, but surely after the boy's defection she would have stopped such a silly emotion.

Yuurie saw Hatake's gaze fixed on the young woman's bowed head with worry etched all over his features. Sai too looked at the younger girl with concern and Yuurie wondered if Danzo could be that cruel? Because there was no way Haruno's continued feelings for the missing-nin would have gone unreported to him.

Later as she was laying on her bedroll, she thought about it and she knew exactly how cruel Danzo could be. She had witnessed it first hand. He'd sent the young woman on this mission knowing she would be hurt by it. Too angry to sleep, she slipped out of her bedroll quietly so as not disturb the others, to go for a walk.

Looking at the sleeping form of Haruno Sakura, Yuurie hoped for the young woman's sake that she would get over the feelings she had for the traitor Uchiha. Walking away from the campsite thinking about the young woman, Yuurie didn't notice that her own target was watching her leave.

She traveled just out of earshot, against the rules of shinobi caution but one she had been breaking long before she had met this odd team. And they were an odd bunch, trying to welcome her even though she was an outsider and a spy. She knew was supposed to be finding a reason to execute Hatake Kakashi because Danzo was afraid he would destabilize the political structure of the village. However from what she had observed she could hardly see the laid back shinobi even being interested in village politics let alone attempt to destabilize them.

Finally feeling as though she was out of earshot, she climbed up a tree and found a place to sit. Her chosen tree overlooked the land they had been traveling in. The forest canopy was pretty to behold. But its moonlit beauty was lost to the girl currently gazing at it, her mind elsewhere as she pulled out a tattered flute to start playing.

The sound that filled the forest was soft and soothing, but it held an undertone, a sense of urgency and confusion that marred the would be pretty notes. Disgusted with her performance she stopped playing and glared at the flute as though the poor notes were the instruments fault. Sighing she tried a different song, another soft tune hoping to calm her nerves, but it too came out sounding wrong.

She stopped play again, and started thinking about everything. She knew that her mission was a cover. Danzo saw Hatake Kakashi as a rival and a threat to his plans for the village. Which was exactly how he saw Haruno Sakura. She was the protégée of the Godaime, and the pink haired girl was loved by the village. They would listen to her if she spoke. Danzo didn't want her speaking against him, so he sent her on this mission knowing it would break her or given him an excuse to execute her. '_The poor young fool_,' Yuurie thought sadly.

This time when she put the flute her lips she played a sad and angry song, it was a song of someone who was tired and angry with the way the world was working- the unfairness, the brutality and the lack of happy endings. This time she didn't have to stop, because the notes came out perfectly. And as the song came to an end, Yuurie realized with a start that despite the rules of Root, she pitied someone. Because Haruno Sakura was a nice young girl and she didn't deserve this.

The wind shifted and she felt someone approaching, Hatake had noticed her absence. She continued to play the softer notes of the chorus and hoping the copy nin was as lax about wandering off alone as he was about everything else.

Kakashi stopped at the base of her chosen tree and starred up at her. The moonlight illuminated her pale form and for the second time he was struck by how pretty she could be, the gray hair no longer making her ghost like but instead like a mythical fairy princess. Hatake shook himself away from such thoughts. She played quite beautifully and he wondered if she could cast gen-justu through the instrument. He somehow didn't think she had the instrument because it held sentimental value.

"Evening, Yuurie-san," he spoke, always formal with the spy Danzo had sent to him. "It isn't wise to wonder off alone."

"Of course sir, it won't happen again," She responded automatically bracing herself automatically for some form of rebuke.

He didn't say or do anything for a moment, and then to her surprise he complimented her, "You play very beautifully." Stunned by the compliment Yuurie forgot what little of her manners she still used and just stared. "But you shouldn't have spoken to Sakura so harshly, she is a medic. It's her job to care."

Yuurie's gaze just widened, not only was he not reprimanding her for heading out of bounds, he _was_ reprimanding her about stopping a fellow shinobi from giving out excessive amounts of information. "She is a gifted healer, a fierce friend but she will never be an assassin and as such she will always be more open," Kakashi spoke looking up at the moon.

Yuurie looked up too, and asked despite her training asked one question, "She loves him still, doesn't she?"

"I think so," he sighed unhappily.

"It will break her," Yuurie said he tone betraying no emotion, but she was silently cursing whoever thought bubbly little girls should be made into kunoichi. This was their fate to be broken by a mission that would tear apart their innocence.

Kakashi's words startled her, "I will never let that happen." He spoke firmly and turned so he could look her straight in the face, daring her to challenge the sentiment. She was struck with the force with which he said it. His eye reflected the same determination to protect his teammate.

Yuurei did challenge it, they had a mission to complete, "You cannot protect her from this, by the end of this mission she will have taken part in executing the man she thinks she is in love with." She finished angrily this idiot had just given Danzo a perfect excuse to execute him. His words weren't truly rebellious but there was a hint of rebellion. And with that hint Danzo would make it look as though that hint was a shout that could destabilize the country.

"We'll see," Hatake spoke turning back to wards camp, "We have an early day tomorrow, Yuurie-san. We should try and get some rest." He didn't say anything more, and she followed him as an obedient spy should.

But she was too angry to sleep, after coming within the perimeters of the camp she pulled out her scroll and furiously wrote down the events of the evening. Not sure who she was more angry with: Haruno Sakura for being in love with their target, Hatake Kakashi for being a fool or Danzo for sending her on this dammed mission.

The report she'd written explained the possibility that Haruno's feelings would prevent her from completing the mission. That Hatake would not let Sakura be hurt regardless of its affect on the mission and that she thought Danzo was a cruel bastard for sending the poor girl on this mission. Frowning at the mess of a mission report, she shoved it down into her backpack suddenly exhausted. She would write a new one tomorrow, one that didn't involve calling Danzo a bastard or paint her odd teammates in such a rebellious light. Yuurie frowned unhappily with the situation, because despite her heated words to Hatake, she didn't want the medic to be broken either.

Drifting off to sleep, she reminded herself she need to remember to destroy that report when she woke up. Of course her entire plan for the next day was altered when two children literally fell into their campsite.

-xxx-

First let me apologize for the grammatical errors I missed. I really need to find a beta reader.

Second, okay so that wasn't quite three weeks. And I have quite possibly the lamest excuse for not updating. You see I finished this chapter, which I really like because it went from being a pointless, introduce the character chapter to something with actual purpose and it drives the plot a bit. But anyways I finished the chapter and then, well, I forgot to update the story. Err... sorry.

So the next chapter will take probably as long as this one to get an update, because its one of the unwritten chapters, there are about 3 of them, because I'd thought up the part that happened afterwards so I just skipped to it and figured I'd come back later except I never did and now I have to fill in the holes so you guys can keep up with the story.

Anyways hope you enjoyed, please review even if its just to say, 'PROOF READ'- Kayli


	4. Character

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I make no money off this, in fact I'm a broke undergrad student, soon to be an even broker veterinary student.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

~ * ~ Character ~ * ~

"_It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices." _

_~Albus Dumbedole, J.K. Rowling_

-xxx-_  
_

Something was running towards their campsite, that was what had woken the group. It was a jolting wake up call and everyone barely had time to grab their kunai as they fell into place moving quickly forward.

Yuurie paused just for a moment as she surveyed the group. To say she had been gaping would be a stretch, but using the near photographic memory Root had helped create she was memorizing the body of the man before her. The heavy vest he usually wore was off, revealing a skintight shirt that showed off a battle trim body. His hair was damp with morning dew and in the soft morning light he looked less lethal and more human. Yuurie realized with a start her target was very handsome man. The stray thought startled her so much it brought her mind back to order and she concentrated on looking for her orders to keep her mind from straying to such dangerous territory.

Kakashi too had paused; the sight of a rumpled Yuurie had thrown him. Her normally crisply braided hair was in a sloppy ponytail, fly-aways framing a face that seemed softer. Her usually baggy shirt was off leaving only a camisole that revealed a body that was anything but soft. In the dim morning light Kakashi realized with a start that their 'ghost' was a beautiful. 'Kakashi, that is a dangerous thought,' he told himself sternly as he brought his mind back to order and gave Yuurie directions to go wide, far away from him and those dangerous thoughts.

As she narrowed in on the source moving toward camp she confirmed her opinion that they weren't a danger. In fact if she didn't know any better, she'd say they seemed to be children. She heard the running feet stop and a few seconds later the all-clear whistle sounded from Hatake. She slowed and came up behind them, having flanked so far wide she missed the introductions.

They were children- two boys, about twelve and nine. Haruno was already fawning over them, both were blathering. "-can't go back." "Won't make me!" They were each saying.

Hatake sent her another hand gesture, this time it was to go scout the area. She gave him an odd look confused by the request, but did as he asked. It took her 20 minutes to scout the area and in that time she found a group of civilians clearly looking for the boys. Yurrie watched them condescendingly for a moment. They were doing a horrible job of searching. Trampling over the obvious tracks the boys had left and ignoring the blatantly obvious trail, sighing she realized this must have been why Hatake had sent her to scout. He had wanted her to find the search party. She appeared out of the shadows, belatedly thinking she should have made more noise on her entrance.

There were five people in the search party, all men and she learned by their reaction none were shinobi. Two of the men screamed, in an undignified pitch. Another two raised their weapons in what she supposed they considered a threatening manner. And one of the men threw his knife at her, which she caught without too much fuss. Turning the weapon around so she could hand the handle of the blade back to the man who'd thrown it. She spoke in a clipped tone, annoyed with the men, "Are you looking for two children?"

They all froze at the question. "My boy, Riku?" The man who'd thrown the knife said forgetting the blade and looking at her hopefully

"I don't know their names, but two children stumbled into our camp this morning," She spoke not really caring about the matter. The longer this took, the more irritating she was finding the situation, and the idiot who still hadn't taken his knife back.

"Show me!" The man ordered. Yuurie balked at the order, chaffing at the man's tone. The irritation must have shown in her eyes because the man quickly added desperately, "Please, shinobi-san." And then Yuurie saw the worry in his face, he just wanted his son back. Letting the muscles she'd tensed relax, she exhaled and turned to lead them to their camp, thinking Hatake would say that this was another occasion where she should apologize. She smiled, like that was going to happen.

The parents arrival cause two very different reactions; the younger boy ran towards them but the older boy sunk down his face scared and worried. He was not excited to see the man racing towards him to embrace him. She saw Hatake tense to prevent the stranger's sudden approach, but she shook her head to indicate the people were not a threat.

"What were you thinking? You foolish child you're sick!" the man exhaled with relief as he embraced his son.

The boy muttered something, Yuurie only caught a few words, "My fault... had to leave."

Haruno only heard one word, "The child is sick?" Her hands already going for her medkit.

"Yes, the idiot boy thinks he's making the other children sick and he needs to leave," the father said clutching his son tightly.

"There are others sick as well," Haruno said putting on gloves and puling out some medical equipment.

"Hai, shinobi-san," the man said, realizing she was moving to look as his child. But instead of giving her access to the boy, he shielded him. "What are you doing shinobi-san?" He asked abruptly, Haruno jolted back surprised at the rebuke.

"I'm a medic," she said expecting him to move, he didn't.

"We have our own medics, but thank you shinobi-san," the man said politely but firmly. Yuurie breathed a sigh of relief, she had thought they were going to be delayed by the medic's impulse to help cure the village. As Danzo-sama expected a quick turn around, he would not take kindly to delays. If they were delayed he would be sure to blame her and her back was still sore from her last offense.

Yuurie's sigh earned her an admonishing look from Hatake before he spoke up to defend his student, "This is Haruno Sakura, the Godaime's apprentice. Your medics will probably want to talk with her."

Yuurie frowned; she didn't like the sound of that. It sounded like Hatake was convincing them to let Haruno help. One of the men looked at Haruno in awe, speaking suddenly, "The great sannin healer, the Slug Princess?"

Haruno frowned and nodded before looking down embarrassed. The young girl didn't like being recognized by her teacher's name and Yuurie found that she liked the girl better for it. The man who had asked the question spoke to the overprotective father "Saito, this is the answer to our prayers. This girl's teacher is one of the best healers in the country. She'll be able to find a cure for this strange illness, so we don't loose anymore children."

Yuurie watched the man's, Saito's, face suddenly light up, as though hope had been handed back to him. She had seen Nagato regain that look after he had talked to Naruto, maybe it was a gift of this team. Still they did not have time to solve this village's plague. "Hatake-san, we are on a deadline, we do not have time for this."

Haruno looked at Yuurie appalled that she would consider leaving this village with a still raging plague, one that seemed to be targeting the young. She opened her mouth, to angrily reply when Hatake cut her off. "We have time to save the lives of children." He spoke in a tone Yuurie was becoming quite familiar with, it was polite but it conveyed that the conversation was over. And though her body language still showed she thought this was a very bad idea she said nothing as they followed the search party back to their town.

-xxx-

Upon arrival they discovered a few unpleasant surprises. The hospital could not really be described as a hospital. It was a warehouse that had been converted to a quarantine zone and the medics the man had spoken of were mothers of sick children. Not one person truly trained in the medical profession. Haruno couldn't even start trying to diagnose the problem on the first day because she had to completely rearrange the hospital. Yuurie, Hatake and Sai found themselves ordered about fixing and cleaning the makeshift hospital.

Every time Yuurie protested Hatake admonished her. He reminded her of increasingly ill children and she found it very hard to continue the protests because the children were getting sicker, even to her medically untrained eyes. Unfortunately they were so busy working Yuurie didn't have time write a report to Danzo to explain about the delay. It was almost 28 hours later, before Yuurie even had a chance to nap, because Haruno had kept them at for so long. They were swaying on their feet when Hatake finally called them all to rest. Haruno protested saying she was fine, but Yuurie cut her off, "Haruno, we work more efficiently when we've slept. You're a medic, don't be an idiot."

"I just want to finish this," Haruno said writing something down, her eyebrows narrowing the only indication she heard Yuurie's sharp words.

Hatake exchanged a look with Yuurie, Sai was already at the door dark circles under his eyes. But it seemed Haruno wasn't immune to the exhaustion because she started to drift forward. Hatake took her pen, and Haruno turned to look at him her eyes slowly closing, "You drugged me?" He nodded. And she muttered as he slung her arm over his shoulder to move her back to their assigned sleep quarters. "No, I …. need to …. keep…" But the rest just came out incoherent mumbling, and by the time Hatake laid her on a bedroll she was fast asleep. Yuurie watched as Hatake removed her shoes, gloves, hip pouch and hitai-ate and then pulled a blanket over her. He did it all with lingering touches, and no leering gaze as she'd seen done in Root if a commanding officer took the time to do so, most times she'd wake up where she fell, cold and stiff.

The more she learned about her target, the more she couldn't help but admire his character. That was a dangerous thought, Yuurie shook her head to clear thoughts and couldn't help but frown she did that a lot with this group. She was surprised when Hatake spoke to her. "She is so concerned about others, but is a fool when it comes to her own health. Even when she was a teenager, although to be fair it was more about Sasuke's health then the rest of ours, but still when we were ill she was the one who took care of us, she can't help it."

Yuurie looked at him oddly, still unsure about speaking with him. He sighed exasperatedly at her lack of response, "Get some rest Yuurie-san. We've a long day ahead of us."

"She cares too much," Yuurie said her voice tinged with sorrow, she knew that caring just led to pain.

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love, Sakura loves helping people," Hatake said laying down in the rooms provided for them by the village. "She's a fierce warrior and deadly in battle, but her heart lies in healing and in fixing things. Good Night, Yuurie-san."

Yuurie didn't respond, laying down thinking. From what she had seen it was something his students all excelled at. When she was sure he had gone to sleep, she scribbled a quick note to Danzo, it was one line and completely unacceptable report, "Delayed, plague outbreak. Medic required." It was all she had the energy to write, she sent it without a fuss knowing it would infuriate him but fell asleep too cared to care.

-xxx-

She was woken with sense of wrongness again; still exhausted and a bit disoriented it took her a moment to gain her bearings. When she did gain her bearings her kunai was drawn and she had woken Hatake. He looked at her oddly and she shook her head unsure what had woken her.

Still barefoot she moved to check the perimeter. Hatake followed momentarily. A familiar energy source was fleeing the hospital. Yuurie easily caught up with the same boy, the one who had protested so much about being returned the village. She thought his name was Riku. He was running away again, but he had brought his parka and boots, Yuurie noticed as her bare feet sank in the mud.

He let out a small shriek when she appeared in front of him and slipped backwards in fright. Belated Yuurie remembered her goal to make more noise when she entered. Still Yuurie caught him before he fell. "What are you doing?" She asked.

The boy glared at her through the pouring rain. "It's all my fault. I have to leave."

Yuurie looked at him oddly she remembered him saying something similar before, but before she could respond he spoke again. "You can't keep me here." He said trying to wrench free. Yuurie smirked holding the boy's arm with very little effort, amused by that comment.

"I am certain that I can," she said lazily. "Why do you need to leave?" She was curious, why was he so anxious to leave?

"I just have to leave!" He yelled bringing his booted foot down on Yuurie's bare toes.

Swearing at the sudden pain, Yuurie reacted without thought and knocked the boy unconscious. Yuurie held the boy up, gingerly putting weight on her foot. She heard laughter coming from a nearby doorframe. Hatake stood their chuckling at her. Not only did he have on shoes, but he also had on a parka and he looked incredibly amused.

"Yuurie-san we generally don't knock young children unconscious," He said smiling in his rebuke, Yurrie was learning that meant she made some sort of social faux paux.

"My mistake," she said hefting the boy over her shoulder. Hatake moved to stop her rough actions, but then sighed and held out a pair of shoes and raincoat for her.

She could have kissed him, or at least hugged him. "You forgot these." He said reaching to exchange the boy for the shoes and parka. She slid on the parka first and then went to put on her shoes, but decided there wasn't a lot of point in putting on her shoes she'd just get them dirty and wet too.

"I suppose shoes at this point are a lost cause," he commented as he watched her decide not wear them. She looked at him and nodded her head in agreement and smiled a bit at the mess she was in. The smile was brought under control almost immediately, she blamed it on the tired and the rather undignified position she was in soaking wet, muddy and barefoot.

Glaring pointedly at the boy as they walked back to hospital, this was entirely his fault. But then that smile leaked out again as she recalled the little shit had stomped on her foot. "Foolish of him to try and leave in the rain, especially when he's so sick." She said, her words harsh but the note of admiration in her voice betraying her own feelings. The rain hid his scent and by the morning would have washed away his tracks, not bad planning.

Kakashi nodded his head in agreement, "And the audacity to stomp the foot of a shinobi of your character." He said chuckling and though she had been smiling about the situation previously, she stopped short and made a funny face at the comment.

'A shinobi of her character,' what the hell did that mean?' She thought before schooling her features back to blank.

Hatake seemed to realize the words came out wrong, "I didn't mean that you are-… I just meant that you have a rather scary… ah… intimidating presence." He stuttered unlike the calm and collected talker she'd become familiar with.

Yuurie didn't respond, but she wondered why it bothered her after all that was her goal, to be seen as the Root ideal. _'A shinobi of her character. _So why did those words make her cringe?'

Hatake sighed realizing he wasn't gaining any ground with his stuttered retraction. Hatake continued to rack his brain for a way to apologize, as they put the young boy into one of the mother's care, she hadn't even noticed the child was gone. He expected a sharp rebuke from Yuurie, who was usually so quick to correct the mistakes of others, but she remained uncharacteristically silent.

Sai was half awake when they got back to the rooms, but Hatake and Yuurie motioned him back to sleep. Haruno were still asleep, the drug Hatake had used still in effect. Yuurie moved towards the shower, when Hatake caught her shoulder to get her attention. "I am glad to have a shinobi of your character on my team." He said softly, his eye meeting hers.

Yuurie would have smiled, but the words were flat and untrue, as much as Hatake wanted to mean that statement, he didn't. "For such an accomplished shinobi, Hatake-san, you are a terrible liar."

Kakashi didn't respond as he watched her move to the shower to wash off the mud, their gazes met one last time and an unspoken statement passed between them, 'He would have been happy to have her on his team, if she wasn't a spy for Danzo.'

But she was a spy for Danzo, and though he wanted to trust her, he knew he could not. Because shinobi of her character were insanely loyal to those who they protected, and Yuurie protected Danzo because through Danzo she felt she protected the village.

-xxx-

The next day, Yuurie woke to an empty room. Her nose was running and she realized she had a fever. 'This is what you get for running around in the rain without shoes on,' She told herself grumpily as she rolled up her bedroll. Eating a left over roll on the counter, she made her way to hospital, cursing the rain, this mission and Hatake Kakashi.

When she made it to the hospital, she'd barely set foot inside the door when Haruno shrieked driving her out. "You can't be here," Haruno said calmer this time when they were both outside.

Yurrie's confusion must have shown on her face, as Haruno elaborated, "You're sick, you should be in bed resting."

Yuurie deadpanned. "In Root illness is not an excuse."

Haruno muttered a few choice words about what the young medic thought of those rules, before sighing and looking at her. "You aren't going to lie down are you?" Yuurie just looked at her. "Of course you aren't," Haruno sighed again muttering about stupid shinobi patients and gave her list. "I need these supplies, go find them and take it easy." She sighed exasperatedly, Yuurie took the simple task with a bit of relief, realizing it was just list of herbs found in the surrounding area.

Her sense of smell was totally shot, which made finding the herbs a bit more of a challenge. By the time she had finished she was ready for a nap, but as she turned to head back a familiar energy signature pigned on her radar. She almost dropped the basket when she felt it. It just wasn't possible. Jogging in that direction she would find that it was.

The same little shit that had tried to run away last night, given her this cold and bruised her toe was running away again. This has to be some sort of record, she thought as she appeared in front of him. He screamed and Yuurie stared, totally unrepentant that her entrance had startled the boy.

"No!" he yelled and turned to run away, Yuurie simply appeared in front of him unimpressed. They did this five times before he stopped, tears streaming down his face.

"Why are you so convinced this is your fault?" She asked never one to beat around the bush.

"I can't… it just is," he said angrily. "You have to let me leave!" His voice was pleading.

Yuurie shook her head and moved to usher him back towards the village. He sat down and refused to move. Annoyed Yuurie moved to hit him, when she remembered what Kakashi said about knocking people unconscious. It made her stop just short but the boy flinched at her hand. They froze momentarily until the boy opened his eyes fully and look at her strangely before asking, "Why did you stop?" he asked.

Yuurie dropped her hands, unsure of how to continue so she answered truthfully, "I was told it isn't proper to knock uncooperative children unconscious."

"My dad says the same thing to me when I got to hit my younger brothers." He said wiping off the tears from his face and as though to distract her from the tears he kept babbling. "But they can be soo annoying." There was silence again, before the boy looked at her. "You really aren't going to let me run off?"

Yuurie shook her head and the boy continued "But you don't even like me."

Yuurie was brought up short by this, and stated, "I don't dislike you."

"You knocked me unconscious _and_ you gave me this bruise!" he shouted indignantly pointing to his arm.

Yuurie pointed at her toe, which was a nasty purple-ish color. "After you stepped on my toe." She said, in what she belatedly realized was a very childlike tone.

The boy looked at her toe and frowned, "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted you to let go of me." Yuurie cocked her head at the apology, in Root no one ever apologized for injury ever given. The boy had been trying to accomplish something and the injury was a result, it was just how it was.

The boy was looking expectantly at her, and she raised her eyebrow at him. "This is where you go, "I'm so sorry Riku for knocking you unconscious and bruising your arm," he made her voice very high pitched and elongated the syllables sarcastically. She shook her head, and rolled her eyes at the boy's antics.

"I didn't meant to leave you with a bruise," she responded truthfully.

"That is a terrible apology," the boy said in a very know it all voice, but he still smiled at her and Yuurie found herself smiling back. The moment broke as the boys racking cough reminded them he was not well.

"Come on, we should get you back," she said moving to pick him up. He resisted only a moment but he seemed extremely tired. Picking up the boy, she shifted him to ride piggyback so she could carry him easier. Yuurie was exhausted too. Wishing she had just listened to Sakura's orders to stay in bed she started the walk home.

"Aren't you a ninja?" the boy asked from his perch.

Yuurie was affronted by the question, she wore a hitai-ate, and she had clearly demonstrated skills that proved her to be a competent ninja. "Of course." she answered shortly.

"Then why aren't you tree jumping really fast, that's how the other ninja travel," he said as though this was obvious.

Yuurie found herself embarrassed by the response. "I've a cold, I'm tired and you're heavy, its easier for me to just walk, since I don't want to risk slipping."

"Oh, so do you always work with this team?" he asked barely processing the answer to his first question before asking the second.

"No, I'm new," she answered happy to move onto a new topic.

"I didna think so, they don't seem to like you as much," he said again in a know it all voice.

Yuurie didn't expect them too, but the response stung, "Why do you say that?"

"Cause they way they talk to each other and you always work by yourself. Although the scarecrow guy, he always tries to help you but you don't let him." He said sleepily.

His words made her think, she realized that Hatake did make it a point to ask her how she was doing, he always watched out for her and last night he had provided back up even brought her shoes. As much as she wanted to ignore the intel and orders that Danzo had given her that said otherwise, Hatake Kakashi was a very good captain. She was about to say so when she realized the boy had fallen asleep.

Looking mournfully at the tree branches, she began to trudge down the path that led back to the village. An hour and a half later, Yuurie was thinking she should probably take back up conditioning, this boy was probably a bit more than half her weight and she was starting to struggle under the dead weight. As she walked she had very little to do but gaze at the scenery and she thought she saw evidence of a bandits camp nearby, almost hidden trails and similar track patterns on the road. Deciding she didn't really want to run into any she picked up her pace. Another half hour later she bumped into part of the search party for the boy, it was one of Hatake's dogs closely followed by it's summoner.

Warning bells should have started ringing, since every time she saw her target she was always thrilled to see him; but his timing was impeccable. But when he took the boy, his words made her stiffen, "Yuurie, I thought I told you not to knock children unconscious."

As he spoke the boy groggily murmured, "Yuurie-san, are we back? My stomach doesn't feel so good." and then he threw up all down the front of Hatake's clothes.

This should have been poetic justice for the poor assumption, but there was blood in the vomit and Yuurie was too preoccupied by her worry about the alarming concern she felt for the idiot boy who'd bruised her toe. After all a shinobi of her character wasn't supposed to be feeling anything at all.

-xxx-

* * *

Okay so here's the deal, I'm really sorry it took me forever to post this, but I rewrote it more times then I could count and proof reading 13 pages is horrific. Plus I suck a proofing, and I wanted to make sure it was right, if its not I'm sorry. Anyways the next chapter is just as long and just as not proofed, but it is done-ish and I'm on spring break so I should be able to get it up in the next week.

My apologies for the delay, school is very busy and applying to grad school makes it busier but thats over and done so here's to more consistent updates. - Kayli, 3/7/11


	5. Facts

Hello all,

I'm updating! Its long and it has to last you a long time. Probably till the semester is over, I almost have the next chapter written, actually I suppose I could break it into two chapters and then you get two updates relatively fast. Anyways I swear I proofed it, but I suck at proofing, so if there are any egregious mistakes feel free to message me and I'll fix them.

-Kayli

* * *

Chapter Four

_Facts_

~"_The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."_

–Charles Dubois~

Hatake took the child ahead of her, and when she arrived back at the village the boy was already in the middle of a complicated treatment Sakura was administering. Yuurie wanted to stay at the hospital but Hatake explained patiently to her that she was sick and couldn't be in the hospital. He escorted her to their room and ordered her to rest. Her first instinct was to follow orders and it lasted until Hatake had left the room and was out of sight.

She told herself she had tried to fall asleep and therefore had complied with the order. She knew the flimsy excuse would never work with the Enforcer, but she thought with this new captain it might be acceptable. Besides her original mission objective was to observe her target, Hatake Kakashi, and if her target was with the boy then it was even more acceptable for her to check on him.

Masking her presence she slipped through the village undetected in the manor that earned her the call name Ghost. When she arrived she felt Sakura's chakra at work, but it must have been in a more central room because Yuurie couldn't see her from the trees she was using as cover. So she waited reasoning that if she actively felt Sakura's chakra at work then the boy must still be fighting. When it started to rain Yuurie scowled, every time she ran into this boy, Riku, it rained.

Yuurie stayed through the night, Sakura had finished working around dinner and had moved the boy to a bed Yuurie could see from the window. From her vantage point she was able to watch Sakura rush to the boy's side twice to perform more healing, and she understood with depressing clarity that the boy was very ill. With a focus that she gave to her missions she watched Riku's breath rise and fall without knowing she was matching her own breath to his, willing him to take the next.

She heard the Enforcer telling her cruelly this was not her mission. It was a distraction. She recognized this as true, that it shouldn't matter to her whether the boy lived or died, since it wasn't a matter of village security. But another voice in her head, the voice reminiscent of her first teacher, prayed for him to live.

And Riku did survive the night, but another girl did not. The wails of the parents woke most of the village in the early morning. Yuurie watched a defeated looking Haruno try and comfort the parents, who turned on her angrily. She waited for the girl to defend herself, after all she was the Godaime's apprentice, but she did nothing as the father angrily moved closer to Haruno. It was Hatake who intercepted the parents, deflecting their wrath away from his student.

When the parents finally left, Haruno remained standing looking downcast. Hatake placed a hand on her shoulder and said something. Yuurie couldn't read his lips with the mask on, but his face held comfort and whatever he said made Sakura straighten her shoulders and head back to her desk with new determination.

Yuurie wondered what he said and thought back to her old team and the man who had encouraged her, the cast off child of a greater clan. She remembered him talking her back up after her father died. When she'd given up hope he brought it back, but then he'd died as well, and Danzo had different beliefs.

Danzo had told her that there was no hope unless one adhered strictly to the rules he provided. And after a time she had seen he was right. She believed it, but Root procedure would have been to kill Pein. Naruto had not done so, and he'd saved half the village by listening. She didn't want to consider the implications of that because of how it would rewrite her nindu.

Looking at Sakura she wondered what was Sakura's nindu. According to Root she should have let all these people die. They were nonessential civilians, but Sakura saw children with families who cared and loved them. That led to a bark of laughter thinking about Roots take on love. It was '_a fleeting unimportant emotion whose only use was that it could be used to manipulate others on the battlefield'_. Sakura however used it to motivate her, instead of using the methodology put forth by the shinobi tennets. She cared, just like her blonde, fool of teammate. 'It didn't make sense,' Yuurie thought growling to herself.

"You really shouldn't be here, Yuurie-san," his voice made her jump and reflexively pull a kunai. Hatake Kakashi held his hands up in a deceptively neutral position, but Yuurie could see two ways the position could be defensive and one way it could be lethal with a small adjustment. He'd snuck up on her again.

"I did go lie down, sir," Yuurie spat out quickly, putting the kunai back into her pack, trying to convey she had followed orders.

"You shouldn't be out here because it's raining and you're sick," he said exasperatedly.

Yuurie didn't respond, not wanting to push him into making a direct order to go lay down out of the rain. He didn't say anything for a while, just watched his student work. The silence made Yuurie nervous. She never knew what to expect with Hatake Kakashi, her target.

The silence reigned as the rain soaked his hair and vest. She noticed that soaking wet he seemed younger less like a hardened warrior and more like a tired young man, old before his time. Yuurie hated when she noticed things like that, so she was glad when he broke the silence. Only his next words weren't what she expected, "You wouldn't recognize her, if you had met her as a gennin, well except for the hair…. What self respecting ninja has pink hair?"

Yuurie couldn't help it, she made a noise of agreement, the pink hair was a little ridiculous. Kakashi continued after a moment, "She was so silly, incredibly smart, but focused on nothing worthwhile. Just her crush. She had potential hidden in her and I didn't see it. I was so focused on my other students, a genius and… well you've seen Naruto. I just ignored her. The best thing she did was go to the Godaime for training, because I failed her."

Yuurie didn't know how to respond to this sudden melancholic speech. She knew she should say something, but she wasn't sure what was appropriate. She recognized he was confiding this in her, because he wanted to talk about it, but why he had picked her was incomprehensible. "I'm…. I'm sure you did what you thought was best, Hatake-san," Yuurie managed lamely.

He looked from the window to Yuurie so she could see the sadness in his eyes when he responded, "I did, I let her go. I failed my students and I let them all go." He let out an unpleasant bark of laughter before continuing, "Not that I had a choice, one ran away, the other I couldn't protect and that one in there, I didn't even see the incredible shinobi she had it in her to become."

Yuurie looked in wonder at him, he blamed himself for his students failures, "In Root, a students failure to learn or thrive is seen as the fault of the student never of the master."

"Maybe it was combination of both, or maybe the failure of my team is proof I'm not fit for anything with leadership responsibilities," he spoke. "Either way, I'll never have another gennin team. To take one and risk failing as I did with Team 7…" He shook his head.

"But you lead this time?" Yurrie said confused.

"And that is all I am good for- assasinations," there was self-hatred in his voice. Yuurie knew that emotion well.

Yuurie looked at him, her mind racing, "You don't crave the title of Hokage?"

"No," Hatake, "I am not wise enough for that, I keep having to relearn all the important lessons."

"The important lessons?" Yuurie asked confused.

"The things that make a truly great shinobi," Hatake answered but he didn't elaborate more than that and Yuurie didn't ask. She couldn't help but think, Hatake's definition of great shinobi leader would be vastly different than Danzo's. And with Hatake's definition you had Naruto and Sakura who saved a lot more lives, lives Danzo would consider inconsequential. Lives, Yuurie was learning were not inconsequential at all. Yuurie groaned, this team was giving her a perpetual headache.

* * *

Sakura was stumped, she said it was as though someone had modified the virus to some extent because it wasn't responding to her initial treatment. That had been two days ago, despite Yuurie's insistence that they didn't have time for a delay and needed to get back to there assigned mission was half hearted, but her duty to Root made her point it out each morning. Yuurie sent another report to Danzo, this time explaining about the plague affecting a local village. She stressed that the team was helping Konoha residents and it was important that this sickness not spread. She used all the reasons Hatake had given her, but she knew they would fail to convince Danzo. Two more children had died since then, the medical puzzle was driving Sakura crazy, she hadn't slept since the one night Hatake had ordered them to sleep. Finally Kakashi drugged her drink again with a sleeping powder so she'd sleep for a while. During that time, Riku had died.

Yuurie hadn't been there, she'd been out collecting more herbs for Sakura ever growing list of needed supplies. Hatake had met her on he edge of the village, the look in his eyes she recognized, all shinobi knew that look. "I'm so sorry, Yuurie-san," he began. But Yuurie stopped listening, she knew what it was because it had been only person she'd shown interest in since they'd gotten here.

Yuurie stared at the setting sun, ignoring her mark. She handed him the bag and strode off without saying anything. Kakashi watched her go, he wished she'd react just a little bit more, he knew in her own way she had cared about that boy. The first thing she'd cared about in a while, he guessed. He stared at the bag she'd handed him, so gentle as to not crush the useless medical supplies. She was always a shinobi first, he had noticed. No emotions, no fear.

Yuurie didn't come back that night, or the following day. When she finally showed up at dinner. Hatake raised an eyebrow quizzically; but her face didn't change. She looked tired and resigned, bracing herself for whatever punishment he was going to dole out. "Yuurie-san, next time please send notice that you won't be back. I was worried you might have gotten in trouble."

Her face momentarily registered surprise, and her mouth opened for a moment before she nodded and her face went back to blank. Kakashi had just finished making his plate and he moved so she could get into their makeshift kitchen to grab some chow. He watched her, the lethal root agent didn't show right now, she just looked tired. Ignoring the knowledge that she was Danzo's spy, he took pity on her. He pushed his already laden plate at her and smiled (not that she could see it with his mask in place). She took the plate with wide uncomprehending eyes. He didn't say anything more, just turned to fix himself another plate. He frowned when he'd noticed that he had taken the last - for his plate and now there were none left for his new plate. He glanced back, she was still standing there in shock, he supposed he could just reach out and take half of it back.

Moving to do so, he stopped as he saw her flinch and stick the plate out for him to take back, Kakashi stopped and wondered what she thought he was going to do. He shook his head, "Naw its for you, I'm making myself another one." He said lifting his new plate up, and loading it with the vegetables and healthy stuff that remained, stuff he had intentionally left out the first time. Sitting down looking mournfully at the sweet and less healthy stuff he'd put on his original plate, and then bit into his vegetables.

She was still standing frozen when he sat down, confused by the gesture. He'd given her his plate, that was.. was.. odd. His original plate that had had the good stuff of the meal still in it, the - and -, which his plate now lacked. She looked at him crunching on his vegetables looking back her plate every now and then. He voice was sudden and she supposed it would have made civilians jump, "If you don't eat that soon it's going to get cold."

So she sat and ate dinner with him. They didn't talk, she was starving and the food was very good. When dinner was over, she stood up taking his plate as she did (he thanked her before heading out back to the hospital) and moving to the sink where she did the dishes. It was so surreal, had sat in this dimly lit kitchen and eating dinner with the man she was trying to find a reason to kill because Danzo thought he was a threat to the village. Yuurie generally didn't think to hard about her assignments but the more she learned about this man, the more she felt he was an asset and not a threat. She set the plate down more firmly than she intended in her frustration and was rewarded with the cracking sound of the ceramic.

Looking at the cracked plate, now useless she choked out a laugh, 'Yeah that about summed it up.'

* * *

The next morning she went back to the hospital. It had been six days since the children had first stumbled into their camp, and while Sakura was making progress, she didn't have answers. She was delaying the deaths and easing their pain but the children were still deteriorating and no one was getting better. It didn't help that the young women was exhausted. She'd only slept 20 hours in the time they had been here. She wouldn't let anyone get her food or drink since that last time Kakashi had drugged her. She still hadn't forgiven him for letting her sleep when Riku had died, even though their captain was right she wouldn't have been able to do anything. When Yuurie arrived at the hospital, Haruno Sakura was trying to explain to grieving parents why she hadn't been able to save their child who had passed last night.

The parents were blaming the medic, and when the man punched the exhausted girl, Yuurie was surprised when she not only caught the medic who had stumbled backwards, but spoke sharply, "You will leave."

The man's face looked angrier, but something in Yuurie's face convinced him to leave. He stormed out the door slamming it. The wife followed tears streaming from her eyes. "Yuurie-san, you can't speak to them like that, they are hurting." The exhausted young women said holding a glowing hand to her eye, Yuurie was surprised to see she had chakra left after the way she'd been pushing herself.

"They should have never been able to land hit," Yuurie said angrily with the girl in front her.

"I deserve it, I came in so sure I could fix it easily and I failed," Haruno her voice full of self-loathing_._ "I gave them hope and then was unable to follow it through."

"Don't be foolish," Yuurie said in the same tone that she had used when reprimanding the girl for speaking so openly. "You are the best chance this village has of not loosing all it's children. As I much as I don't want to waste time here, you are the only one who can save them." Her mind flashed back to the boy she had befriended, who was now dead.

"My shishou could have cured it by now," Sakura said hanging her head, Yuurie was getting annoyed this girl was pitying herself. "Everyone expects me to be just like her, but I'm not even recognized for my talent, just by the talent she has supposedly passed on to me."

Yuurie thought this explained why the girl had a made a face at being recognized by the name of her teacher. She just wanted to be recognized by her own skills and her own strength.

"I'm so tired of never being strong enough, I can't do anything right." She said burying her face in her hands.

"Are you done, Haruno?" Yuurie asked insensitively. "There are children that need you, so you don't have time to pity your own failings. Later if you'd like I can go over them all with you, but now you have work to do. Work you are not only strong enough to do, but very capable of doing. Now if you sit down and give up now, you are not the person I've come to believe you to be."

Sakura sat bolt up, angry and embarrassed, she opened her mouth and closed it. But stood up and walked back into the tent. Yuurie smiled, pleased with her triumph. Then triumph was followed by horror, what had she been thinking. She had just missed a prime opportunity to convince the girl to give up and get them back on the mission. Yet she had encouraged the girl and told her keep going.

Shaking her head, she reasoned she had only done so because the depression of having failed these children would have hindered the group efficiency in the long run. That was what she told herself, but she didn't believe it, because she didn't want anymore of these children to die and Sakura really was the best the chance they had.

* * *

The next morning Sakura called a meeting with the village. "You are not giving up Sakura-san," it was the man who'd first recognized Sakura's name, he had turned out to be the village's leader.

"No, I'm just at a dead end and thought maybe you all would have an idea," She responded, shooting a glance at Yuurie and smiling. Yuurie did not smile back, but that didn't seem to dampen the girl's spirit. Sakura began to go into detail about the illness and what methods she had tried to save the sick children.

She narrowed it down to two possible causes, however she needed a more critical ill patient to determine which cause it was. All of her patients were in the middle of the disease progressing at about the same rate, so Sakura was worried by the time she figured out the cause, all the children would be too sick for the treatment to be effective.

(**A/N**- _Okay so here's the thing, I'm going to laze out, I tried think of contagious disease that would be solved this way and while I'm sure there is one, I can't think of one and the cause of the disease is unimportant for the story and I could post the remaining chapters if I refer to the symptoms as Option A and Option B, so that's what I'm doing because like I said it doesn't make a difference to the story and I figured the medical mystery was not the reason you were reading the story)_

"So why not just treat for both?" Hatake asked. Yuurie agreed, but Sakura was shaking her head.

"The treatments are antagonistic towards each other," she said tiredly.

The silence lingered for a moment and suddenly Yuurie realized she might be able to help and with her usual grace and tact she spoke abruptly, "You need answers from the dead to save the living?" Her question sounded odd to her own ears and she understood her gift.

"Yes, Yuurie-san," Sakura said through gritted teeth. Yuurie wondered at the young woman's tone before she realized the question was mocking if you didn't understand her kekkei genkai. Yuurie didn't immediately respond, she was contemplating breaking one of Danzo's rules that he was so fond of enforcing. After all her kekkei ghenki was a secret, only to be used for the good of the village, and by Root's definition this was not the good of the village nor the assigned mission. That meant she should leave it alone, but that wasn't what this team would do.

She looked up, while the rest of the room had continued putting forth increasingly ridiculous ideas, her target was watching her intently. It would be so easy for her to help, and she reasoned if she did they could leave and get back on track sooner. The depletion of her chakra would be beneficial to the mission. Satisfied with the loophole she'd found, she spoke, "I can do that." She had to talk over them at first. "I can get those answers." This time they all stared at her.

* * *

So feel free to Review or not, I'd love to know what you think. And please point out mistakes, I know they are there and I apologize, I promise I look for them. Its just its 12 pages, its exhausting to proof.- Kayli


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